Roberto De Zerbi’s true character became clear at an unexpected moment
Roberto De Zerbi once left his former player’s wife in awe after a one hour-long phone call.
Newly-appointed Tottenham Hotspur manager De Zerbi has already enjoyed one successful stint in the Premier League, having managed Brighton between September 2022 and May 2024.
During that time, goalkeeper Jason Steele played more games under the Italian than he has managed under any head coach before or since. Steele became De Zerbi’s No. 1 shot-stopper initially on the south coast before sharing the role with Bart Verbruggen.
The pair’s relationship transcended the pitch, however, as shown by a touching gesture De Zerbi made last year after he had already left and become manager at Marseille. Steele, 35, underwent an operation on his shoulder in January 2025.
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He recalled how his former boss, although he was no longer obligated to do so, took time out of his busy Ligue 1 schedule to check in on him with an hour-long FaceTime call. De Zerbi’s actions left Steele amazed at his kindness, with the gesture speaking volumes of his character.
The Seagulls goalkeeper told eSPORTY: “As a human being, he is one of the more special ones I’ve ever come across. I came out of surgery and he was playing a day later with Marseille.
“He FaceTimed me for an hour on the Friday night. I think that speaks volumes about him as a person, as a human being.
“My wife sat next to me on the couch and said, ‘I can’t believe that just happened, is that normal?’ “I actually don’t think it is normal.”
De Zerbi’s contract at Brighton was terminated at the end of the 2023/24 season after disagreements with the club hierarchy over their recruitment strategy.
He said on his departure: “I am very sad to be leaving Brighton but I am very proud of what my players and staff have achieved with the support of everyone at the club and our amazing fans in the past two historical seasons.”
Despite his sudden exits from Brighton and Marseille earlier this year, Steele’s story suggests De Zerbi possesses fantastic man-management skills. That will be crucial as the 46-year-old takes charge of Tottenham this week.
Spurs currently sit just one point away from relegation with seven Premier League matches left to play. De Zerbi will hope to do what neither Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor managed to do before him by galvanising the players, getting the best out of them and ultimately ensuring the Lilywhites stay up.
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